Wireless communication systems are constantly evolving. System designers are continually developing greater numbers of features for both service providers as well as for the end users. In the area of wireless phone systems, cellular based phone systems have advanced tremendously in recent years. Wireless phone systems are available based on a variety of modulation techniques and are capable of using a number of allocated frequency bands. Available modulation schemes include analog FM and digital modulation schemes using Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) or Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA). Each scheme has inherent advantages and disadvantages relating to system architecture, frequency reuse, and communications quality. However, the features the manufacturer offers to the service provider and which the service provider offers to the consumer are similar between the different wireless systems.
Regardless of the modulation scheme in use, the wireless phone available to the end user has myriad features implemented. Nearly all wireless phones incorporate a display that allows the user to enter text banners, display dialed numbers, and display incoming caller numbers. Additionally, wireless phones may incorporate electronic phonebooks, speed dialing, single button voicemail access, and messaging capabilities.
The features described above present only a sample of features that are capable of, or have already been, implemented into wireless phone systems. Any individual feature is capable of implementation into some or all of the wireless systems using the modulation schemes mentioned above. A particularly useful feature provides messaging capability within phones. The Short Message Services (SMS) feature used in a CDMA wireless communication system allows for information transfer to and from a wireless phone. However, the implementation of SMS is not limited to use in a CDMA system. The description of SMS in a CDMA system is merely provided as a foundation for the discussion of the preferred embodiment of the invention presented below. Short Message Services (SMS) are used to allow the communication of alphanumeric messages to wireless phones.
However, the multitude of features available on any particular wireless communication system presents problems to the service provider. The service provider may not choose to initially enable all features. The service provider may also choose to implement new features as they are developed. Subscriber units are initialized with features matching those offered by the service provider even though the phone may be capable of supporting additional features. Unfortunately, when the service provider activates new features, the phone must be manually updated to activate the additional feature. The manual update is either performed by requiring the user to return the subscriber unit to the service provider for update or by instructing the user to activate the feature through a series of keypad entries. Requiring the user to return the subscriber unit to the service provider for update is extremely inconvenient to the user and may result in many phones not having the feature activated. Similar problems exist when requiring the user to activate the feature through keypad entries. The user is instructed in how to access a protected service menu within the phone software and is provided directions in how to activate the feature. The user may never receive the instructions or, if the user is technologically unsophisticated, may be hesitant to attempt to activate the feature.
A problem arises when changes need to be made to the parameters. Changes may be required due to a customer request or a change in the service providers network. A change to the service providers network may include activating or deactivating specific services available to a particular paging receiver to add or delete a service, respectively, available to the receiver. Furthermore, a change may include deactivating the entire unit. Furthermore, specific functions of the paging receiver may be enabled or disabled through the use of programming.
In order to reprogram a paging receiver, a paging receiver typically must be returned to the service provider or manufacturer for reconfiguration. This usually entails packaging the paging receiver and sending it to a specific location. This can be very cumbersome and costly. Once at the location, a serial port connection is normally hooked to the paging receiver to facilitate the programming.
In the prior art, paging receivers have been programmed over the air. Such programming involves patching values into specific memory locations. This resulted in a large burden on the service provider. This is a burden because for each paging device supported by the service provider, there is an associated “memory map” for the data values that can be altered. This memory map must be retained by the service provider and used in the creation of the programming message for each device that uses this prior art over-the-air programming method. To add an address, for example, the service provider is required to determine the specific memory location(s) within the paging device that must be changed (from the memory map for that device) and include that information in the programming message sent to the pager. It is desirable to allow for over the air programming of a paging receiver to avoid the cost and hassle of sending the paging receiver into some predetermined location while also reducing the burden placed on the service provider.
Manufacturers and service providers desire a level of security when it comes to programming a paging receiver. Manufacturers and service providers want to prevent any average sender from sending messages that look like a programming message to devices. In this manner, the manufacturer and service providers are able to avoid unauthorized changes to the paging receiver.
Known in the prior art is software to sync up PDA (personal digital assistant) address books and phone address books with PC-based applications. There is software to download new ring tones from a service provider's website to a mobile handset. Mobile handsets are known to provide levels of menus to guide users through the provisioning of subscriber specific information. Also, OTAP (over the air provisioning) standards exist to initially activate/provision mobile handsets, but are not used to provide bidirectional transfer or periodic transfer of subscriber configuration data.
It is a very cumbersome task to navigate through each and every menu option on a mobile handset to initialize or change subscriber-specific data. Unfortunately many people attempt this task while driving, for example, which further complicates the task and increases the possibility of unsafe driving or an automobile accident.
It is often desirable to purchase a new model of a mobile phone, but the thought of having to reenter all of the contacts into the new phone is overwhelming. Worse yet, a lost phone means the necessity of programming into a new phone all menu options and contacts.
There is a need in the art to alleviate these error-prone and very time consuming and tedious tasks for a mobile user by making the sophisticated network support these every day functions.
There is also a need for systems that overcome the problem of mobile subscribers who are not aware of new features that may be introduced/added in their service provider's network. Many subscribers may only become aware of new features if they go to their service provider's store or some sales representative calls them for regarding a new feature.